Under ISIL fire, Kilis locals demand more protection

“Rockets fall on our houses, shrapnel pieces rain on us, we are killed inside our homes, we are killed on the streets,” the advert signed by leaders of four civil society organizations including the chamber of industry, chamber of merchants and craftsmen, provincial bar association and the organized industrial zone said. 

“#KiliseSESver” (Speak up for Kilis), its hashtag read, calling on the state to provide security and relief assistance to the residents of Kilis, as they were “citizens of the Turkish Republic.”

“We are not subtitles in news programs, we are not a photo squeezed in between stories! We do not accept being pushed between gossip programs,” the advert said.

“Kilis is under attack! Our homeland is under attack!” it concluded. 

Nonetheless, attacks from across the border continued on May 6, as two rockets fired from northern Syria hit Kilis early in the day. 

According to reports, one of the rocket projectiles hit the roof of a house in the central Yenibeşevler neighborhood while the other hit the garden of an office at around 12:30 p.m. 

No casualties were reported in the incident though some buildings were damaged. Police took security measures at the scene of the attack. 

Two other rockets hit the province later in the day, this time falling on an empty area between two buildings. 
In the face of persistent ISIL attacks, the governor’s office in Kilis released an official statement on May 5 and declared the province a “special security area,” effective for 15 days until 5:00 p.m. on May 20. 

Attacks originating from ISIL-held territories started in mid-January and have so far killed over 20 people while wounding scores of others. 

Operations to inhibit ISIL activities and infiltration into Turkish territory was also continuing, as a total of three ISIL militants were killed by the Turkish army on May 6 while attempting to illegally cross the border into Syria early in the day. 

A total of 11 others were wounded as Turkish security forces opened fire in the Oğuzeli district of the southeastern province of Gaziantep after foreign militants refused to obey warnings to stop. 

The wounded militants were taken to hospital while an investigation into the incident was ongoing.